1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique in a system to monitor an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a system to collect and monitor information on an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction peripheral has been discussed. The image forming apparatus to be monitored and a monitoring apparatus are connected to a network, and can mutually be in communication.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-039237, status information on a job of peripheral equipment is stored in a file server and can be confirmed from a work station that is connected to a network. This reduces a communication load or the like that occurs by individually accessing the peripheral equipment on a network from a plurality of work stations on a network.
However, in a system to monitor an image forming apparatus which is an apparatus to be monitored, information other than the status of a job may also be monitored. For example, status information on an obstacle such as a jam and an error is monitored. Thus, different types of contents of the status information are present to be monitored. Accordingly, the status information on the image forming apparatus is needed to be transmitted to the outside from the image forming apparatus at suitable timing and in an output form as intended by a manager intends so as to be managed by a system. Further, in a case in which many image forming apparatuses are contained in a system and a manager manages these apparatuses, an image forming apparatus which is to confirm the status on a high priority is present. In such a case, it is needed that a manager can flexibly make a particular setting on only several image forming apparatuses for efficient management. With respect to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-039237, when status information is transmitted to a file server from the apparatus to be monitored, this kind of procedures is not considered. Thus, this point is an issue.